Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Saying Goodbye to a Bassmaster...

It is with great sadness that I have to report to you the death of a founding member of the Zen Bassmasters.

Gryphon's Van, affectionately known as the "Bassmobile" to ZB fans everywhere, perished today at the Farrar Vehicle Clinic after a short battle with cancer of the transmission. After collapsing just outside of Petersburg yesterday afternoon, the Bassmobile was rushed to the Clinic and placed on life support. After doctors diagnosed her, it was decided that only a transmission replacement could save her and Gryphon made the decision to take her off life support.

"She was the most underappreciated member of this team," Gryphon was quoted today as saying. "She faithfully carried five people whose combined weight went well over 1400 lbs all over creation for over a year. Her suspension suffered a lot at the end."

Indeed, one of the more recognizable and crowd-pleasing portions of the Zen Bassmasters' arrival at any geocaching event was the ritual negotiation of the speed bumps. Gryphon reminisces, "I used to get stopped by kids who thought it was cool that we lowered the minivan. I had to tell them it was just from all the weight."

Perhaps the Bassmobile's most lasting legacy was the invention of the "Semi-Circular Course Correction", and her execution of it is still considered by experts to be the most perfect form of this maneuver. "It was like second nature to her. She just seemed to want to turn around. It was like she was born to it."

RIP2000 Plymouth Grand Voyageraka "The Bassmobile"b. May 2003, 42k milesd. June 2007, 169k milesAt One with the Bait...

We feel your pain. We recently lost my son's car when it failed to stop before running into the side of a van that had turned in front of it. For some odd reason the death of what cachedrgn affectionately referred to as his POSmobile (piece of **** mobile) has left ME without a car to drive. Oh well, no FTFs for awhile.What rock?